1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processes for making candy. More specifically, the invention relates to processes for making candy in which a decorative design made of chocolate is imprinted on a piece of candy.
2. Related Art
Various methods of applying images are known in the art. Further, some of these methods have been applied in the food preparation field.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,394 (McPherson et al.) shows a system for silk screening edible images on a backing material and transferring the image to cake or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,696 (Nendl et al.) provides a system for applying an image pattern to the surface of a chocolate product. The image of cocoa butter and other ingredients is screened onto a backing material which forms one of the surfaces on which a chocolate body is formed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,200 (Iwao et al.) shows a system for marking chocolate or the like by molding and providing a stencil or plate with slits and holes through which the marking material is applied. These patents are incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full below.
None of these patents appear to avoid the use of a backing material before an edible image is applied. Also, previous systems have involved substantial difficulties in providing detailed, high-quality likenesses of visual images on products such as chocolate.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a method by which detailed, high-resolution, high-quality images are applied to chocolate. It is especially desirable to provide an image which itself is made of chocolate.